The Wake

As any pretentious, well-rounded individual does, I feel like I have the ability to enjoy a good play without being distracted by the fact that no screen exists between the set and me. The Deception makes this feat simple for even the most unpretentious, square individuals that happen to stumble into the Jeune Lune Theatre.

The Deception is an interpretation of an 18th century play written by Pierre Marivaux. The originally titled La Fausse Suivante has been adapted by Steven Epp and Dominique Serrand and acted out by the Theatre de la Jeune Lune acting troupe. The Deception follows an heiress who, in an attempt to learn more about the man she’s being forced to marry, dresses up as a young man and goes out to meet her husband to be. What follows is a web of lies and deceit that twists itself around the characters and the relationships that form between them.

The Deception, which begins with a dramatic curtain pull, continues to inspire awe through its beautiful use of lighting and sound effects. The stage design is phenomenal; the entire scenery is comprised of several walls of moving panes of glass, smeared with a beautiful mixture of green and blue. Accompanied by the dazzling lighting, the stage itself is a painting that inspires as much emotion as the acting, subtly directing the mood of the scene. With the addition of the characters and the directing, the stage could be snapped shot at any moment and framed. The design, however abstract, only compliments the acting.

The acting in The Deception is something that must be experienced to fully understand. All of the characters, with the exception of only a few, seem to be in a state of perceptual imbalance. While they’re speaking their lines, they stumble back and forth around the stage, roll around on the ground, and flail their limbs awkwardly. The constant movement can only be interpreted as a representation of the characters’ raw emotions; a sort of interpretive dance. Regardless, it became distracting to be assaulted by such bizarre mannerisms throughout the play. To someone who is a regular in the theatre scene, the innovative acting might be a breath of fresh air. To the average viewer though, it takes some getting used to.

Despite the strange mannerisms, the acting deserves praise. The lines are spoken with an emotive force that drives an interest and attentiveness, and the actors have mastered subtle expressions, perfectly relaying their character to the audience. Unfortunately, I felt the immersion of the 18th century play into modern culture lacked the subtlety that would have made it more enjoyable. For the most part, the characters speak in a formal tone and use expressions and dialogue that would be representative of a pre-19th century England. Intermittently, however, the characters completely disregard this style of speaking and begin cursing and using modern day insults. This is entertaining at first, but becomes more and more out of place as the play moves on.

The adaptation also includes some aspects that I doubt were in the original. The play has an extremely serious tone; the comedic value comes from the bizarre situation and a few wise cracks now and then. But sometimes the comedy relies on goofy slapstick and awkward sex jokes that made the entire production as a whole less credible and believable.

Overall, The Deception is entertaining, and I’d recommend going to see it. It’s important to keep an open mind as much as possible when seeing any sort of live entertainment. The plot is sure to inspire some discussions, and you can’t go wrong with $9 tickets using the Under-25 discount. The play gets a 7 out of 10.

The Jeune Lune is located in the Minneapolis Warehouse district on 105 North First Street.